warren



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet .1. M WARREN SAFETY CHECK VALVE.

No. 365,656. PatentedJune 28, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. WARREN.

SAFETY CHECK VALVE. No. 365,656. Patented June 28, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARION `TAR-REN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE EUREKA SPUND APPARATUS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY CH ECK-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,656, dated June 28, 11887.

Application filed November 4, [886. Serial No. 217,923. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, MARION WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roches-A ter, New York, have invented an Improved Safety Check-Valve for Regulating Fermenting Liquids, of which the following is a speciiication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a safety checkvalve designed to be used in the process of carrying on the fermentation of beer under a regulated pressure in a series of closed connected casls, and to certain combinations, including a checkvalve.

My invention is fully described and lillustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof specified in the claims annexed to the said specification.

My improved safety check-valve is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- A Figure 1 is a central vertical section. Fig. 2 represents the valve in side elevation. Fig. 3 shows -the handle for the three-way cock. Fig. 4 is a section on the line c rv, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents my invention as applied to a series of fermentation-casks,showing also modi- Iications.

The construction described in this specification, to which al part of my improvement relates, embracing the parts necessary to'intercept the iiow of gas in certain contingencies, it may bedenominated a safety check-valve, or, since the valve is constructed and arranged to close when the pressure falls below a predetermined limit on either side of the valvethat is, either in the piping or in a cask (or pressu re-chambcr) and to open when the pressure exceeds said limit either in the pressurechamber or in the piping-it may properly be styled a double-acting safety checlevalve.77 It is not thereby intended to indicate that a total arrest of a fluid current is its sole function. Devices of this general character have been variously styled, reference being had to one or more of several functions. p

. It will be understood from the present description that my device, under certain conditions to be fully herein set forth entirelyarrests the escape ofgas either from a cask or under other conditions from the described system of pipes, and in view of these functions it may be called a safety check-valve.77

lt consists, essentially, of the body or pressure-chamber A, provided with the threaded stem or screw-plug B, having in it a conduit, diaphragm D, and valve E, the position of which relative to the valve-seat F is controlled by the diaphragm and the springs (t o and I), so that when the pressure in the cask to which the apparatus is attached becomes lower than the desired pressure the valve will close and prevent communication between the cask and the connecting piping, and when the pressure rises above the desired limit the valve will be opened by a spring. W'hen the pressure in the fermenting-caskinto which the stem B is screwed becomes less than the desired'pressure, the valveE is forced onto 70 the valve-seat F by the spring b. The valve is usually held open by the pressure of the gases in the chamber A. This pressurc,acting on the diaphragm D and 'co operating with the spring a, compresses spring b, the tension of the two springs being originally adapted and the tension of spring b being regulated with reference to the desired gas-pressure, so that while said pressure exists in the cask and the pipe system the valve is held open, as 8o stated. When, however, the pressure in chamber A falls below the predetermined degree,either because ofthe slacking of fermentation or because of an escape of gas due to a break or accident in a cash or pipe,t.he spring b closes the valve and checks the escape of gas either from the piping into the cask or from the latter into the piping, as the case maybe, dependent on thelocation ofthe cause of the reduction in pressure. It will be un- 9o derstood that the gas-pressure in chamber A and in the piping or in a cask must become less than the difference between the pressures of the springs a b, so that spring `b will move the diaphragm and valve, the spring a unde'r 95 such a condition not having sufficient aid from gas-pressure to hold the valve open. It will also be understood that in case of reduction of pressure in a cash below the predetermined limit, and by consequence in chamber A and I o to a limited extent in the adjacent passage, y, and connecting-conduit, the valve will norwhenever the pressure in the pipe system cX- ceeds the said limit,and gas will be discharged into theparticularcask. Theparticularvalve in such case acts as a relicffvalve and discharges toward the particular cask. It' the reduction of pressure below the predetermined limit occurs in the main pipe,and consequently in all the chambers A and to some extent in the casks, then the valves are all closed until the pressure in any lor all of the chambers A rises above said limit,whereupon the particular val ve or valves operate as discharge-valves, whether they discharge into a broken main or intoa complete main having a properly-work-l ing blow-oft valve. The body or pressurechamber A is made of a size and shape (preferablycylindrical) adapted to receive the diaphragm D, which is secured in place by-being clamped around its. edges by the screw? ring G. The inside ofthe diaphragm rests against a projecting` ledge, c, against which it is pressed bythe flange el and the cap H when the ring G is screwed home. The stem B is attached to the body A by the neck I, which eontainsthe three-way plug G, which serves at will to c'ut off the communication between the cask into which the stem is inserted and the chamber, and to permit `the application ofairpressure on the liquid in the cask through the pipe J in racking otf.'

As indicated in Fig. 3, the three-way valve C is provided with the three-pronged handle K, the prongs eec. of which indicate bytheir position whether the valve is open or closed. The prongs e e e` correspond in position with the passages o o' o in the valve, so that the operatorvis always certain from observing the handle, how the valve stands. TheV valve C may be set so that the passage o connects with the pipe J, while the passages o oll form communication between the chamber A and the cask, in which position the apparatus may be cleansed by forcing water through the pipe J. The valve C is of the ordinary tapering or plug form. This part of my invention may be usefully employed in connection with any suitable form of escape-valve. The cap H is made of a shape adapted to receive the screw L and follower-nut N, which is prevented from turning by the pinf, Figs. 1 and 4, fitting a groove in the cap. The spring b bears at one end against the follower-nut N -and at the other against the follower O, which presses against the diaphragm, being guided by the stem g, inserted in a central hole in the screw L. The screw is provided at its outer end with a lug or projection, t', Fig. l, to which a suitable wrench may be applied to shift the nut, as indicated by the full and dotted lines, to vary the tension of the spring l, and thus vary the pressure in the chamber and cask. The end of the cap is left open to permit access to the lug i. The screw L is provided with aflange,

j, which bears against a suitable surface on the inside ofthe cap, a ring of packing being l inserted at k, if desired. ltwill be observed that the ends of the springb tit over shoulders on the follower O and the screw L, so that the spring'cannot become displaced and produce,

friction by coming in Contact with the threads of the screw. These shoulders are represented at z z', Fig. l. The surface of the follower O next the diaphragm is rounded or spherical. The diaphragm is made of rubber or metal.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the valve E is hollow and tits over the valve-seat p, so as to slide freely thereon. The inner end ofthe tube F, which may bc made in one piece with the. chamber A, is beveled nearly to an edge, and the valve E is provided with a rubber disk or block, n, which bears against the valve-seat when the valve is closed. The valve is pro vided with a flange, t, having a shoulder, c,

'which serves to guide the inner end of the spring a, the other end of the spring fitting over a corresponding shoulder, c', on the inside of the casing of the chamber. Around the valveseat p the valve is open, as indicated at r, Fig. 2, the two parts ofthe valve being connected together by the bars s. The openings r permit the free access of the gases in the chamber to the valve-seat. The valve-stem F is hollow, the passage y through it extending outward through the boss P, which may be iitted in any desired manner for the attachment of piping-as, for instance, by the coupling Q and faucet R. v

-In the practical operation 'of my improved safety checlevalve each fermenting-cask is provided With an apparatus of the construction herein shown, which may be attached to the cask either directly by the screw-plug B or by suitable piping in place of the neck I, and either with or without an ordinary faucet or the three-way cock C.

v Vhere it is the practice to-,pile ice on the fermentingcasks, I separate the apparatus from thev cask by suitable piping. sages y in all of the checkvalves are put in communication with each other by'suitable pipes and connections, and a blow-off or discharge valve, such as F', is attached to the pipe in any convenient situation and arranged to permit the escape of the gases of fermentation wherever they rise above the desired pressure. In such a system it is necessary, in order to secure the best results, to provide against the blowing off of the pressure in all The pas IIC the casks, either by a leak in any one of them,

or by a leak in or breakageof the connectingmy invention. Thus, in case of the bursting of a cask or a leak occurring therein, the pressure in the chamber A will be reduced and the valves E will be closed by the spring b, thus cutting off the leaky cask from the rest of the series of casks, and in case a leak occurs in the piping, or the pressure therein should be reduced by accident to the blow-oft' reliefvalve on the piping or to the pipes themselves,

the valves E will close and hold the pressure tem be employed or not.

in each of the casks until the piping has been repaired. At the same time the valve herein described will operate to permit the escape of the gases in the cask whenever they accumulate in excess of the desired pressure, each check-valve operating independently to'regulate its own cask, whether the connected sys- A pressure-gage may be applied to the pipe J toindicate the pressure in each cask.

In Fig. 5 I have represented my improved safety check-valve as applied to a connected system of three fermentation-casks. A A A" are the casks. The improved valve is represented as attached directly to cask AW- and in connection with casks A"and A. The valve is attached to the piping, as indicated by dotted lines in one case and in fulllines in the other. The pipe D is provided with a pressure-indieating gage, E, and an escape or blow-off valve, F', ofany preferred construction-such, for instance, as that shown in the patent of Bigelow, No. 324,642, dated August 1S, 1885.

The escape valve F may be located in the office ofthe brewery, or in any other suitable locality where it is readily accessibler by the superintendent or foreman. In case the checkvatve is applied directly tothe cask, it is preferably connected to the main pipe D' by the` flexible hose or conduit G, or the cask provided with a faucet, H, is connected with the checkvalve C attached to thepipe Dl by the hose G. By this construction, as will be understood, the body A is not connected directly with a neck that contains the three-way cock and withVr stem B, but a pipe or hose, GZ, is interposed between the body or pressure-chamber A and the three-way cock C and the stem B. By this means the body A can be removed sufficiently far from the cask to allow it to be seated on the pipe, which is effected in any well-known manner-as by screwinga faucet, R, into a threaded boss or pipe-connection formed on the pipe-or the boss P may be screwed into an internally threaded boss formed on the pipe. In either case the operation ofthe check-valve is the same, preventing the loss of pressure on the whole system in case one of the casks leaks, and holding the pressure in the casks in case of accident tothe main pipe or the discharge-valve. There can be no communication from one cask to another until each cask has generated within itsellEV the desired pressure, thereby avoiding any pressure on the surface of the liquid in any of the casks which is not due to the fermentation going on within that cask. Thusa desirable uniformity in the quality of beer produced in the several casks is secured.

A check-valve has heretofore been described which would automatically close when the pressure was sufficiently decreased in a diaphragm-chamber, the diaphragm itself acting as a valve, being caused by a spring to move to a seat upon the end of an exit-pipe when the pressure was sufficiently reduced. Such construction has serious defects. The end of the pipe constituting the valve-seat upon which diaphragm closes and acts as a valve has in practice been found to injure the diaphragm, wearing through 011e or more thicknesses of the materials composing it.. The diaphragm and valve-seat also are liable at times to adhere, and it has been found that a force of several pounds C in some instances twelve pounds or more) has been necessary to overcome this adhesion. tion the diaphragm is not used as a valve. The outer end of the valve E has a wide bearing on the diaphragm and cannot cut or injure it and is not liable to adhere to it, and

`the connected parts, including the valve, are

so made and arranged that it is immaterial whether or not this enlarged end of the valve E adheres to the diaphragm. A method of rigidly securing the Valve to the diaphragm heretofore practiced is also objectionable, for the reason that the latter is liable to be broken along the line of connection between the parts. ln the present construction, there being no means employed for fastening the valve to the diaphragm, the danger of breaking the latter is obviated; and it may be noted that the diaphragm and valve are capable of an independent movement, the latter bei ng opened solely by the action of spring a. Such a construction is obviously more certain in its movements and more sensitive to Variations of pressure than those in which gaspressure is relied upon to open the valve as well as to compress a spring, as g. and especially so in that form wherein the diaphragm is used a valve, and in which the valve anddiaphragni frequently adhere, as before stated. It will of course be understood that the spring a opposes the spring g whenever the diaphragm which is in contact with valve E is moved to close it, and that the adjustment of the tension of spring g is to be made with reference to this action of spring a. It is further obvious that the particular form of the springs andthe mode of securing them can be varied without changing the substantial nature of the construction and its operation, and it is also clear that the form of valve E can be varied by mechanical skill.

In the use of check-valves heretofore it has been customary to place them in sach manner as to allow free communication between several casks, one valve being relied upon to maintain the pressure in said casks, it being supposed desirable to equalize the pressure in the system by transmission of pressure and gas from those in which there might occur an excess to others in which there exists a lower degree of pressure. Such a system provides no safeguard against leakage, there being always a liabilityof an escape of gas in the system sufficient to destroy the gas-pressure and entail injurious consequences in all the connected casks. By my' system this danger is obviated,as there is uo'communieatiou between the several casks.

In the present construe-l IOO IlO

Check-valves havelieretofore been applied to single easks, but not in thecombination described by me, which embracesa series of casks each provided willi a check-valve and con-V nected to a main pipe, which is also provided with a relief or check valve. By this combination the pressure in the whole system is maintained, and can be indicated and observed by means oit' the relief-Valve on the main pipe,

ro located at any convenient point; but should an accident occur to this valve or to the main pipe each eask would be protected by its individual valve against injurious reduction of pressure. This combination of a main vpipe and a rclief'valve with a series o't' casks each having an independent relief or check valve has never before been used or described,it hav- `ing been either considered essential that the several easks should freely communicate with 2o each other, or,in case avalve was provided .for

each, it having been regarded as not essential to provide a common gas-main provided with a relieitvalve.

My combination provides for indicati ug and regulating at one convenient point the press.

ure in a main pipe common to a series of easks, and while securing this advantage it provides for regulating and maintaining the pressure in each cask and guarding all from the evil effects 3o of leakage, either in the main pipe orina cask.

4o The scope of my invention does not include such a combination. It embraces the matters described in the foregoing specification,

and hereinafter particularly pointed out, andl so far as relates to the valve and diaphragm the particular feature of novelty relates to the doing away with the connection between the valve and diaphragm and the 'substitution of an independent source of power for the gas pressure depended upon as the means for opening the valve in devices of the same general character' as constructed prior to my invention.

Il claiml. For regulating pressure in the process of fermentation, the co mbination embracing a casin'g, an outlet-tube, a valve, a spring normally adapted in co-operation with the pressure of gas to open the valve, a diaphragm, and aspri ng adapted to move the diaphragm and close the Co valve upon a reduction of the pressure below a predetermined limit, substantially as set forth.

2. For regulating pressure inthe process of fermentatiomthe combination embracing a casing, an outlettube, a sliding valve, a spring adapted in co-operation with the pressure of the gas to open said sliding valve, a diaph ragm, and aspring adapted to move said diaphragm and close the sliding Valve upon a reduction of pressure below a predetermined limit, sub1 7o stantially as set forth.

3. For regulating pressure in the process offermentation, the combination yembracing the casing, diaphragm D, outlet-,pipe F, forming a valve-seat, the sliding valve E, provided with elastic disk l)aand the oppositely-aeting springs a and I), arranged substantially as set forth, whereby when the pressure rises above a predetermined limit the valve will be closed.

4. For regulating pressure in the process of 8o fermentation, a casing having a diaphragm dividing it into two compartments, a spring having a bearing upon one side ofsaid diaphragm, and upon the opposite side a pipe serving as a gas inlet and outlet, a valve, and means tendf ing to force said valve from said pipe, all com-l bined substantially as specified, and without any attachment of the valve to the diaphragm, whereby when the pressure in the valvecompartment is sufficiently decreased the spring 9o moves the' diaphragm toward and against the valveto close it, and whereby when the pressure is suiliciently increased in said compartment the diaphragm-spring is compressed and the diaphragm moved from the valve to allow it to open. p

5. rlhe combination of a series of two or more easks, a main pipe, a relief-valve, as F, and a series of conduits and double-acting safety check-valves, substantially such as derco scribed, one of each being interposed between each cask and the main, as specified.

G. The combinationl of a series of two or more easks, a main pipe, a lreliefvalve, as F',

a gageor pressure-indicator,and aseries of conie5 duits and double acting safety check-valves, substantially such as described, one of each being interposed between each cask and the main, as set forth.

7. The combination of a series of-two or1io more easks, a main pipe, a relief-valve at the end of the main, and a double-acting safety check-valve, substantially such as described, interposed between cach eask and the main, as set forth.

MARION VARREN.

iVit-nesses:

Gno. B. SnLnnN, A. SORGE, J r. 

